Genetically Modified Food: Potentiality for Food and Nutritional Security in Saudi Arabia

The growing global populationPopulation has created a demand for new forms of sustenance, such as genetically modified (GM) food, which have been a topic of debate for many years. Some people believe that GM foods are safe and can be a valuable tool for improving food productionFood production and nutrition. Others are concerned about the potential risks of GM foods, such as the possibility that they could harm human health or the environment. BiotechnologyBiotechnology has made it possible to genetically modify agricultural crops to increase productionProduction, improve quality, resist disease and biotic and abiotic stressAbiotic stress factors, while considering sustainabilitySustainability and environmental preservationEnvironmental preservation. This can play a significant role in food and nutritional securityNutritional security. Genetic modificationGenetic modifications offers an alternative approach to traditionalTraditional breeding methods to introduce desired traits into plantsPlants that may not be readily available in the crop’s gene pool. However, GM foods raise concerns relating to social, economic, health, and ethical issuesEtthical issues. GM foods use genetic modificationGenetic modifications technology, including gene editing, and plantPlants tissue culture, to improve their characteristics. The potential benefits of GM foods include improved human health and reduced environmental impactEnvironmental impact due to higher yields and pest resistance, but there are concerns about manipulating the natural order and potential unintended consequences. There is still a lot of uncertainty about the safetySafety and benefits of GM foods. This uncertainty has led to a lack of trust among consumers, which has hindered the adoptionAdoption of GM foods in many countries. Social trustSocial trust is a key factor that influences consumer attitudes towards GM foods. GovernmentsGovernment around the world regulate GM crop plantsPlants or their by-products differently. The US and Canada are more lenient, while the European Union requires mandatory labelling for any food product containing even a small amount of GM material. Public perceptionPublic perception of GM food in Saudi Arabia is relatively low due to a lack of understanding, transparent regulationsRegulation, and insufficient communicationCommunication from authorities. Biosafety assessments aim to ensure that new food products produced using biotechnologyBiotechnology are safe for human consumptionConsumption and the environment. Saudi Arabia has regulationsRegulation governing GM organisms and products, and it has advanced various fields such as crop breeding and development, biodegradable plastics, and utilizing biotechnologyBiotechnology to fight malnutrition, droughtDrought, and salinitySalinity. MonitoringMonitoring GM food is essential to comply with safetySafety guidelines and regulationsRegulation. It is important to understand and address public concerns in order to responsibly adopt and effectively communicate about GM foods in the context of food productionFood production and sustainabilitySustainability. This chapter highlights the potential contribution of GM foods to food and nutritional securityNutritional security and emphasizes their benefits and hazardsHazard to humans and the environment.